The Lion King

A long and fun romp up some excellent granite slabs! This route was a ten year labor of love for Jeff and Rick and the quality of the climb is a testament of that effort! Get on it!

Pitch 1-5: Follow bolt lines up to the large ledge with big pine tree on left side at the top of pitch 5. There is a few short 5.4 sections but most of it is 5.0-5.2. You can just barely link pitch 3&4 with a full 70 meters. Pitch 5 has two variations, one straight up to pine, the other heads right to the ledge just left of where you’ll find the belay anchor for pitch 6. Most parties will want to simul these first 5 pitches.

Pitch 6: Traverse right and up over thin smear slabs. 5.7-5.8 12 draws

Pitch 7: Head out right toward thin finger crack in overhanging slab. Step over and up left and smear slab with very little for holds. 5.9/10a 12 draws

Pitch 8: Starts on left side of ledge up some layback blocks. 9/10a 12 draws

Pitch 9: Move out left and step out over corner onto slab. Look for green bolts and fixed hook. Head up thru dirty but easy terrain. 5.7 8 draws

Pitch 10: Climb tiered flakes up and left with thin layback cracks and very delicate smearing between flakes. Proceed up very thin finger tip flake crack. Very fun .9/10 13 draws

Pitch 11: Starts in mostly open book corner and then traverse out right. Very thin and mostly smearing and stemming open book. Have to cross a bush to reach right upper bolt, then head left to anchor. .9/10 8 draws.

Pitch 12: The rappel station for pitch is 10 meters above the belay. The pitch is 40 meters. Nice hand jam crack mid route, then finish on upper slab. 5.4 12 draws

Pitch 13: Walk up blank slab with very good friction to next anchor. 5.0 10 draws

Pitch 14: Climb blocks then move out on slab left. 5.4 10 draws

Pitch 15: Traverse straight left on ledge a few bolts before moving up to final anchor. 5.4 8 draws

Decent:

70m rope is recommended, but a 60m will make it as well with a bit of stretch. You'll need two ropes to rap the lower slab (first 5 pitches).

Rap the route following bolt lines back down. Route meanders around large overhangs with brushy ledges that prevent a two rope rappel until you reach the lower slab. Tie on the other rope there, as you can not rap this section without it. It is also possible to walk off climbers right (West) once on the lower slabs.

Drive from Northwest Spokane approx 2.5 hours to trailhead

From parking lot at end of Lion’s Creek Rd follow upstream trail for less than 100 yards and drop down and cross creek. Follow Cairns up and east across talus field to lower section of obvious slab. Bolts start in the middle from a flat ledge.

bolts